EYP partnered with Pennsylvania State University to transform the Steidle Building into a sustainable, state-of-the-art teaching and research environment for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in State College, Pennsylvania.

Originally built in 1931 as a U-shaped floor plan, a center wing was added in 1939. Analysis demonstrated that removing the 1939 wing would allow the addition of a new, larger infill to house highly flexible, technically-robust research spaces, with the building’s original 1931 footprint supporting less intense functions. Open bench “research cluster” suites support the increasingly interdisciplinary, collaborative research environment. Daylighting is driven deep into the building interior via a narrow, skylit atrium. The interior organization respects the symmetrical spirit of the original, but its previously dark, enclosed labs and offices are now infused with natural light and visible activity. The modernization preserves the historic exterior while updating building systems, enhancing accessibility and life safety, and providing infrastructure for current and future materials science research.

The fully modernized building realizes an annual energy savings of 42% relative to the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 baseline. Using a uniquely inclusive scenario-building process, the EYP design team and PSU staff, using EYP’s proprietary energy modeling software, worked together to analyze multiple priorities simultaneously, including first costs, energy performance, and operational savings.

Architect: EYP
Contractor: Mascaro Construction
Photography: Halkin | Mason Photography